Device for forming surgical dressings.



V. A. RUNNETTE. DEVICE FOR FORMING SURGICAL DBESSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 191B.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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INVENTOR VIRGINIA A. RUNNETTE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR FORMING- SURGIGAL DRESSINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed May 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,185.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGINIA A. RUN- nn'rrn, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Forming Surgical Dressings, of which the'follo-wing is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for laying out and cutting surgical dressings, such as wipes, compresses, and the like, and has for its principal objects, to provide a cutting board designed particularly for use by Red Cross auxiliaries, and having means whereby continuous superimposed layers of gauze or similar material may be effectually supported and held stretched and taut for cutting upon the upper surface of the board, and to provide the said upper surface with means for indicating sets of rectangles of certain fixed but variable dimensions intermediate the first mentioned means, whereby the material may be accurately cut into rectangular shapes without waste in order to form the desired dressings. These together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear or are incident to my invention, I attain by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the board embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the board along the line IIII of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of Fig. 1 taken at right-angles of the view in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the board A is provided with a set of reinforcing bars B, B, which by means of screws Y are secured cross-wise to the bottom surface of the board and are provided with rubber buttons Z upon which the board rests. The upper surface of the board has marked thereon, preferably in red, a square, whose sides C, D, E and F, are disposed somewhat remotely from the sides of the board A. Each of these lines C, D, E, and F is 36 inches long, the lines C and E extending above and in parallelism with the bars B, B. Extending vertically through the board and lines 0, E, are two sets of nails F, F, on which the selvage of the gauze is intended to be stretched, while that portion of the board between the sets of nails supports the material against any sagn Inside the red square, I provide another square, which is sub-divided into four squares, each 16 inches square, by the reference letters M, N, O and P. These lines G to L, inclusive, are preferably blue in color, and each of them is extended past the red square C, D, E, F, toward the sides of the board. Each of these extensions is indicated by a prime mark, as for example, in the case of the line G, the extensions at each side are each-indicated by the reference letter G. Preferably the lines H and J are equidistant from the lines D, F, and where these lines J, H, intersect the lines C, E, I have indicated by the figures 2 and 34:, the distance in inches, respectively from zero or left hand ends of the lines E, C. In like manner where the line K intersects the lines C, E, I have marked the distance in inches, that is 18 inches, from zero.

For a purpose hereinafter referred to, the lines G, I, of the inner blue square, are respectively located three and one inches from the red lines C, E, and therefore I have marked the extensions G with the figure 3 representing the distance in inches from Zero, and extensions L and I, 16 and 32 inches, respectively. Cutting the red lines F and D through their centers is a line Q, indicated preferably in red, having extensions Q running in opposite directions to the sides of the board, and in order to divide the red square 0, D, E, F, into six equal subdivisions, each 12 by 18, I provide the red lines R and S, with the customary extensions R and S. Equidistant between lines C, Q, and I are the short indicating lines T, U, extending from the lines H, and J, hence the red line F is divided into four equal parts each 9 inches in length. These lines T, U, are provided in order to obtain dressings 6 by 9, and while line extensions R and S at the top and bottom of the board are each 6 inches apart, it is necessary to provide the blue line extensions V and WV midway between the ends of line C and extensions R and S, respectively. This sub-divides upper and lower lines 0, E, into six subdivisions, each 6 inches in length. Hence, it will be seen that with the material in position for cutting, we will say from left to right along lines 0, T, Q, U and E, and

then upwardly along lines F, V, R, K, S,

W and D, twenty-four dressings, each 6 by 9, will be obtained. In a like manner should the material be out from left to right along the lines O, Q and E, and then upwardly along lines R and S, six dressings, each 12 by 18, Will 'be thus obtained. Furthermore, if the material be cut along lines G, L and I, and then upwardly along line J, K and H, then four dressings, each 16 inches square, Will result, and of course, if the full square is out just Within the lines G, I, then a dressing approximating one yard square Will be obtained. After cutting the four 16 by 16 dressings, there Will be a strip approximately 32 inches long by 3 inches Wide at the top, near the line C, and this it is my intention to utilize as a binding for pneumonia jackets. Furthermore, by cutting along lines Q, K, I obtain four 18 by 18 dressings, and it Will be obvious that the board may be utilized to cut such other sized dressings as may be desired.

Before cutting, I take one end of the material and press its selvaged side portions down on both the roWs of nails While holding the selvage taut. The material is folded transversely along a line approximately beyond the set of nails, the next stretch of material being carried in a reverse direction and pressed down on the nails, and this is carried out until I have the desired number of superposed layers X of gauze in position. In view of the extensions of the lines it is an easy matter to cut the material in the manner already described in order to obtain the desired sizes of dressings, and in a manner avoiding Waste or distortion, Which heretofore has been a common occurrence in the making of these dressings. The upper layer of material may,'if desired, be marked by a marking device With lines or indenturesWzorresponding to, and guided from the lines on the board.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board having a substantially fiat upper surface provided With means for indicating a pair of squares one Within the other, two sets of material receiving members disposed on opposite sides of the larger square, supplementary lines provided on said upper surface for indicating overlapping different-sized rectangular sub-divisions of said squares, said supplementary lines intersecting each other and the sides of the squares and extending exteriorly of said squares and said sets.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a board having a substantially flat upper surface provided With means for indicating a pair of squares one Within the other, tWo sets of material receiving members disposed on opposite sides of the larger square, and supplementary lines provided on said upper surface for indicating overlapping rectangular sub-divisions of said squares.

VIRGINIA A. RUNNETTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, 13.0. 

